


Anne Comes to Grief in an Affair of Honour

by JustSuperMione



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Green Gables Fables
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 09:52:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4741889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustSuperMione/pseuds/JustSuperMione
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne rollerblades and it doesn't end well.<br/>Gilbert is called by Charlie for medical advice.<br/>Bonus - Fred Wright is very sweet!<br/>This is an imagining of what the Green Gables Fables could have done with an Affair of Honour.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anne Comes to Grief in an Affair of Honour

**Anne Comes to Grief in an Affair of Honour**

**Anne's POV**

Anne was more excited than she could possibly imagine: which was certainly a statement. Anne’s bosom friend Diana Barry had been allowed by her very strict mother to stay over in Avonlea for a whole long weekend before term started. It just so happened that today was the day Anne’s story club would meet.

Anne decided that the best place to do this would be the local park which had skate rams and some of the boys who played ice-hockey in the winter, rollerbladed like they were in the X-games during the summer. The party settled themselves under a tree, where their view wasn’t mired by bushes. They could enjoy the spectacle when the ramps were in use and Anne imagined how freeing it must be to have such skill and do tricks. She had rollerbladed before but never with such a purpose or an audience.

For most of the day, the park was quiet. Anne knew this was because _a certain person_ and most of the older hockey team members had gone rowing. There was Jane Andrews, Ruby Gillis and even Josie Pye had taken it upon herself to join their merry band of writers... Mainly, Anne knew because _a certain person_ had said something over twitter... daring Josie to stop moaning about being bored and be as creative. However, Anne was above noticing the interactions of _that certain person_ and the internet.

She didn’t care to notice or comment on the fact that THAT certain person had started to interact with _her_ youtube viewers and replying to him was out of the question. Even though she sometimes wanted to scream at him to keep his abnormally perfect nose out of her life! Last week, in the depths of cake despair she had sunk so low and replied to him. She’d been so blunt, it had come across as mean... which wasn’t something she reflected on with pleasure. Her opinion of the incident was confirmed when she’d taken Mrs Allan into her confidence.

Anne didn’t want to give _him_ another thought...

To Anne’s horror, however, the girl’s small picnic to share their stories had descended first into a gossip fest in which that certain person’s name had appeared more times that Anne would like. Especially after Ruby and Josie had realised that it was Diana who had helped _that certain person_ get to the poetry slam that Anne refused to acknowledge. Even though the words, _another, not my sister_ sometimes plagued her in the dead of night. Which wasn’t her fault, she’d told herself, because, _that certain person_ had a nice voice.

Now Josie had started a game of dares. The dares had started harmless enough. Josie dared Ruby to climb the big tree beside them and retrieve a balloon tangled in its branches. Ruby, accepted and walked carefully around the tree to see how it was to be done. Then, she noticed that there was a big caterpillar on the only tree knot she could use and there was sap running down the bark. Ruby decided for the good of her clothes that the balloon had better stay up there. Josie dared Jane to hop around the skate park. Jane tried three times and grinned happily in her defeat. Josie was feeling quite the queen of everything given the situation.

Josie had only come to the story club to torment Anne by gossiping about _that certain person_. It was he this and him that and Anne Shirley couldn’t stand it... and when she tried to steady herself by imagining herself calm and the Josie just didn’t matter... she just couldn’t and that made it ten times worst. Therefore, Anne dared Josie to borrow some rollerblades from one of the boys and rollerblade down one ramp then up another. All of the girls thought it was a very good dare and fearlessly, Josie accepted. Now to Anne’s complete disgust, Josie went up and down with ease. Like she always glided around the park like it wasn’t anything. And in Anne’s heart of hearts she was conflicted between being impressed and being galled.

“Well,” Anne said with a carefree hair flick. “That wasn’t very impressive just to rollerblade up and down like that... I once new a girl, who could have rolllerbladed the whole of the park: forwards and backwards!” It was Josie’s turn to feel galled now. Who was this Anne girl anyway, to question how she, a Pye did anything; who was she to be brilliant in school; who was she to steal Gilbert right from under her nose.

“I believe she could,” Josie said casually, before her eyes narrowed and she almost spat. “But _you_ certainly couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t I?” Anne cried rashly, feeling venomously like Josie must be shown what was what.

“Then I dare you,” Josie said spitefully. “I dare you to rollerblade around the course forwards _and_ backwards.” Anne went pale. It was true that she had rollerbladed before but that was many years ago in a foster placement far away. She’d never attempted a course like this. But she must. Calmly, Anne stood up and proceeded to where Josie had borrowed the rollerblades.

“Oh!” Jane, Ruby and some of the skate park gawkers, who were eavesdropping exclaimed.

“Oh Anne,” Diana cried, horrified to the bone. “You mustn’t. You simply mustn’t. Not knowing the course: going down those ramps backwards. You’ll be killed. Ignore Josie,” Diana pleaded. “No one is allowed to give such dangerous dares.”

“I must Diana,” Anne said resided as she put on the rollerblades. “I made up my mind went I came here that I’d have a heart like a lion. I’d be a Gryffindor. And no one, not Gil... that certain person or Josie Pye will stop me.” Anne replied securing the rollerblades on her feet. Gracelessly, she wobbled up and smiled at Diana.

“Don’t be scared dearest,” Anne said looking braver than she felt. “Anyway, if I am killed in the attempt you may have my fairy lights and bird picture in my room!” She smiled before rolling off.

“That isn’t funny Anne with an e!” Diana called after her.

It surprised no one more than Anne how easily she glided around the course forward. She took her time, up ramps, and along the high up trick wall beside the hedge... she had no speed control when she went down things and prayed for the best. There was a wobble, here and there but everyone grinned. The skatepark gawkers were on her side and that shored up Anne’s confidence a great deal.

Forward was fine. It was backwards that changed Anne’s fortune. Proverb 16: 18 says “Pride  _goeth_  before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,” as Mrs Rachel Lynd was fond of quoting and whether it was Anne’s pride or haughtiness that tipped the balance no one would ever know.

Anne was just going along the high trick wall beside the hedge when it happened. Anne shot Josie a smug look, began to imagine how utterly disappointed Josie must be when she gave an almightily wobble and then there was blackness.

When she came to, minutes later, tangled in the hedge, Anne could hear Diana panicking. She heard Ruby crying and Charlie, who had appeared from somewhere speaking on the phone. He was trying to reassure someone on the other end of the phone.

“Anne are you killed?” Diana sobbed. “Give me a word and tell me if you’re killed.”

“I am not... killed!” Anne replied drowsily, trying to move. She felt fine it body and mind but her ankle felt awful.

“You must stay there Anne,” Jane ordered, when she saw Anne trying to move. “There’s an ambulance on its way and...” here, after sharing a significant look with Charlie, Jane considered her words carefully. “We’ve been advised that you shouldn’t move until they arrive.”

They knew that they couldn’t tell Anne that Charlie had called Gilbert as soon as it happened for first aid information. Gilbert being the only person he could think of that had first aid training. Gilbert, was now on the other end of the phone, freaking out because to begin with, Charlie hadn’t told him who was hurt. Poor Charlie had Gilbert in one ear and Josie on his other side, who had been struck with the horrifying thought that she could have been responsible for the early death of Anne Shirley and how her life was ruined.

Within a few minutes, the ambulance arrived and carefully, they removed Anne from the hedge and took her to her hospital. Diana had gone with her.

Where an ashen Marilia Cuthbert found them a little later; stunned by the realisation that this orphan girl was now so dear to her, that her heart had stopped when sensible Jane had called her. Anne, for her part in this was blissfully unaware of the havoc she’d caused; being unconscious and on painkillers but her final thought of the day was that perhaps the Josie Pye would think again before challenging Anne Shirley.

* * *

 

**Gilbert's POV**

“I have to say dad,” Gilbert said putting his feet up in his father’s truck. “It’s nice to get out of Avonlea...” He stretched and enjoyed the music on the radio and the sunlight streaming through the window.

“Yeah, thank you Mr Blythe,” Fred Wright said from the back seat, swigging down a coffee from his thermos.

“No problem boys, I love driving too,” John Blythe said smiling. “And remind me again why I’ve had to pick you up from the lake?”

“Because after rowing, the other boys want to go to Regina,” Gilbert explained, much as he loved hanging out with his hockey friends. Regina with them off season would probably be a bad idea. “But we have somewhere else to be...”

“We do?” asked Fred looking at Gilbert surprised. Gilbert had only told him that they were going to ‘hang out’ at his place.

“Story club picnic!” Gilbert grinned, rubbing his hands together happily.

“You’re a member of a story club?” John Blythe asked shocked.

“Oh that’s where we’re going,” Fred laughed, reaching for some sweets. “Gilbert here wouldn’t tell me before... He’s not a member of this story club but he would like to start writing stories with Anne Shirley... Not that she’s having any of it!”

“Anne Shirley again?” his dad asked. “That girl from Green Gables?”

“That’s the one!” Fred replied before Gilbert could. “She’s also the one that he braved Regina’s bus system to see in a poetry slam...”

“You’re kidding!” John Blythe said looking at his son with a strange new appreciation.

“He even recited something for her,” Fred related with the glee from his good-friends romantic failure. “Directed it right at her like love sick fool and she spent the entire thing fake texting...”

“She was tweeting,” Gilbert defended, trying not to remember how disappointed he was that his ploy hadn’t worked.

“Yeah that your performance wasn’t interesting and that she needed to amuse herself...” Fred laughed.

“What did Anne recite?” John asked Gil, interested.

“Nothing,” Gilbert sighed again, remembering the sight of her as a poem in itself.

“That’s odd,” John concluded, thinking about another Green Gables girl who was always in the wings.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Gilbert agreed. “She used hockey sticks to grow tomato’s, even the word twix makes her happy and she calls me Voldemort... She’s adorable. And you can shut up Fred!”

“Make me!” Fred playfully dared.

“Don’t have too...”Gilbert said, ready to reveal Fred’s Achilles heel. “The other person at the Story Club is Diana Barry...”

“Diana!” Fred exclaimed, blushing. There was a moment of wistfulness around the normally stoic young man which needed to be explained.

“And who’s Diana Barry?” John Blythe questioned; glancing at his son’s smug expression.

“Oh just a friend of Anne’s... she’s appeared on her videos and Fred thinks she’s... oh what was the word... oh yeah... cute!” Fred blushed.

“And what does Miss Barry think of our young Mr Wright?” John Blythe teased.

“She is, as yet, unaware of Fred’s presence on God’s green and blue earth but all that shall change with this picnic. Mr Wright will undoubtedly, woo Miss Barry...” Gilbert happily predicted.

“Gilbert!” Fred exclaimed, mortified, punching his best friend in the arm.

“HEY!” Gilbert laughed, rubbing his arm.

“So what if I think Diana’s cute...” Fred retaliated, wanting to make his best friend blush. “What word would you use to describe Anne?”

“Goddess!” sighed, Gilbert happily, picturing the object of his affection. Fred and his father looked at him dubiously. “So, she doesn’t realise we were born to be friends... or that she needs me to tell her about fireflies and medical matters and so many other things...” Gilbert then went quiet for a moment before adding defensively. “I have a whole year before College to convince her!”

“You really do have it bad son!” John Blythe said shaking his head. “I was in love like that once... it didn’t end well...” Gilbert was about to ask who, when his phone began to play the Peanuts theme tune: Charlie was calling.

“A-Hoy, Charlie!” Gilbert answered gleefully, thinking about the Halloween when Charlie gone as Charlie Brown and his mother had given him a rock.

“Hi Gil... not a social call I’m afraid...” Charlie said quickly, there was panic in the background. “Something’s happened at the skate park... _someone_ has fallen off the wall and is unconscious... what should we do?”

“Call an ambulance!” Gilbert exclaimed, sitting up sounding serious.

“Someone’s doing that...” Charlie assured him.

“Is the person still breathing?” Gilbert asked, thinking over his first-aid training.

“Errr...” Charlie said obviously moving closer to someone else: who sounded hysterical. Gilbert then, proceeded to methodically run Charlie through the steps to check an unconscious person: making sure that they didn’t move until the ambulance arrived. What with all the commotion on the other end; Gilbert was surprised that Charlie was doing so well.

Charlie was just explaining something to the person by his side when Gilbert overheard something he that sent a bolt of panic through his very soul.

“Oh Charlie: what if I’ve killed Anne?” Josie cried horrified.

“ANNE!” shouted Gilbert, his whole face paling. “YOU DIDN’T TELL ME IT WAS ANNE THAT WAS HURT. OH LORD, CHARLIE! WHAT HAPPENED...” Gilbert looked over at his father with pleading eyes. John Blythe read in his expression that Gilbert needed the truck pulling over.

“Not sure,” Charlie admitted patiently. “When Will, Nate and I got here Anne was about to start skating around the park... Oh hold on a minute... she’s opening her eyes...”

“Thank God for that!” Gilbert said before saying to his dad and Fred. “Anne’s been hurt at the skate park.” The car came to a standstill and Gilbert leapt out. “Take the phone closer to her.” Gilbert added, moving away from the car and pacing. “I need to make sure she’s okay, Charlie.” Charlie had the good sense to do what he was told.

“Anne are you killed?” Gilbert heard Diana sob. “Give me a word and tell me if you’re killed.” Gilbert threw Fred a look as to express to him how perfect Diana actually was for him.

Then from the other end of the phone Gilbert heard a beautiful voice.

“I am not... killed!” Anne replied drowsily, and then he heard the moving of leaves.

“DON’T LET HER MOVE CHARLIE!” Gilbert implored him, feeling very irrational. Jane’s calm voice broke through the chaos:

“You must stay there Anne. There’s an ambulance on its way and...” here, there was a pause and Gilbert wished more than anything he was by her side. “DON’T TELL HER I TOLD YOU NOT TO MOVE HER OR SHE’LL MOVE OUT OF SPITE,” Gilbert warned and was very grateful to hear Jane add. “We’ve been advised that you shouldn’t move until they arrive.”

From the other end of the phone Gilbert could hear Anne comment on her condition and throbbing ankle. Her speech was slightly slurred and Gilbert was glad the ambulance was coming.

“I CAN’T BELEIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING... I SHOULDN’T HAVE GONE ROWING WITH THE HOCKEY TEAM...” Gilbert started to feel irrational again. “I KNOW I COULDN’T HAVE DONE ANYTHING MORE MEDICALLY BUT PERHAPS I COULD HAVE STOPPED HER FROM GOING UP THERE..!” During his little rant, Gilbert could hear Josie justifying herself to Charlie: he caught the words ‘truth and dare’ and the whole sorry story popped into his mind. “CHARLIE WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT ANNE WAS HURT! AND TELL JOSIE THAT IF I EVER HEAR HER DARING ANNE OR ANYONE ELSE TO DO SOMETHING IDEOTIC AGAIN THAT I WILL MAKE THE IGNORING ANNE DOES TO ME; SEEM LIKE A PICNIC!”

“Gil, the ambulance has arrived!” Charlie ventured.

“CHARLIE YOU HAVE TO TELL ME EVERYTHING. MAKE SURE THEY KEEP HER TALKING... WHICH SHOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE, HEY IT’S ANNE... BUT SHE _HAS_ TO STAY AWAKE! ”

Gilbert heard Jane speaking with Josie trying to calm her down. And although, Gil thought that he should care...a meaner part of Gilbert popped up and he thought it would be best to be silent.

“I’m sure they will,” Charlie said in a patient voice, moving away from the Jane and Josie.

Once Anne had been loaded onto the ambulance; Charlie then told Gilbert the details of how Anne had fallen off the wall on rollerblades and into a hedge. He didn’t need to tell Gilbert that if Anne had fallen the other way... an ambulance wouldn’t have been needed. He closed his eyes to that horrible thought, got off the phone with Charlie and put the phone down.

 “Father, I need cherry pies, apple puff, ginger snaps and cream and I shall consume them inside the grandfather clock in the hall...”

“She’s not..?” His dad asked her concerned for Gilbert, and for the Cuthberts.

“No they’re taking her to hospital now,” Gilbert recalled calmly. “They need to keep her in for observation because she was concussed... and Anne was exclaiming that her ankle hurt...” Gilbert paused. “Josie Pye, dared Anne to rollerblade around the skate park: forwards and backwards... That’s another reason she needs me: to temper, her pride with some common sense!”

“Do you want me to drive to the hospital, son?” John Blythe asked, wondering how Matthew and Rilla were doing. Gilbert considered for a moment before Fred spoke.

“It wouldn’t do any good, Gil,” Fred reminded him gently. “She still doesn’t like you and anyway... she’ll be surrounded by people the Cuthbert’s and Diana.”

“There’s a reason for us to go,” Gilbert said with a focused brightness, knowing Fred was right. “You can finally meet Diana!”

“Errr... no!” Fred replied definitely. “If I ever meet Diana, I want it to be in happier circumstances... like a party or perhaps a church picnic...”

“Or my wedding,” Gilbert joked brightly, “You can be my best man and Anne is _sure_ to pick Diana as the maid of honour!” The three of them laughed and then were silent for a long time. John Blythe was thinking how much his son had grown up. Fred was thinking how much he’d like to meet Diana and how hopeless his friend was. Gilbert, concentrated all his thoughts and prayers on Anne. It wasn’t until they were nearly home that John Blythe added something.

“Gilbert, you’re too old and big to hide in the grandfather clock!”

A few hours later, after his mothers excellent baking and hockey with Fred; Gilbert sent a tweet at Anne hoping that she’d know how much more was behind the communication then the simple: “Just heard the news. So sorry.” conveyed.

**Author's Note:**

> I had to write this little plot bunny; because I couldn’t get the idea of an upset Gilbert out of my head. FYI the cherry pies are Dr Blythe’s favourite in House Of Dreams, apple puffs refer to a story I have written but not publish called Blythe Boy/Green Gables Girl (because the Green Gables women are famed for their plum puffs), and ginger snaps and cream are Jem’s favourite food in Rainbow Valley. Also, in Rainbow Valley I have a notion that one of the Blythe children hides in ‘Grandad Blythes’ old grandfather clock and I thought it would be a family trait.


End file.
